Early Thursday morning (3/7), the five arrested individuals and one additional person accused in the case of trafficking large quantities of ammunition in Crete appeared before the prosecutor in Chania to give their testimony. According to flashnews.gr, four of the arrested individuals were remanded in custody, while two were released with restrictive conditions. It should be noted that criminal charges have been filed against them, as well as against another person, relating to criminal organization and violations of weapons legislation.
The operation of the gang that illegally imported ammunition to Crete
According to the police announcement, a coordinated police operation was carried out in areas of Chania and Kastoria with the assistance of officers from the Northern Greece Organized Crime Unit, during which 4 members of the organization and one additional person were arrested. Specifically, after appropriate investigation, it emerged that the above members had, at least since April 2025, established and joined a criminal organization for the purpose of illegally importing into the country and further selling large quantities of ammunition cartridges in areas of Crete, for illegal financial gain.
To achieve their goal, they had a specific method of operation (modus operandi): they collected ammunition orders and then arranged and secured the necessary quantities from an unknown supplier operating in Albania, three members traveled by road to the borders with two vehicles, one of which was a truck specially modified with a hidden compartment where they placed the ammunition they received and returned to Crete (by road and ferry lines), where they sold the ammunition on the market for payment.
Their roles
At the same time, the members of the criminal organization had distinct roles among themselves, as follows: A 65-year-old had formed the organization and held a central role. He collected cartridge orders, traveled as a passenger to the borders where he supervised the receipt of ammunition and payment of money, while he himself arranged for their sale in Crete, moving by motorcycle. A 72-year-old had created a special hidden compartment inside the truck that transported the ammunition, while driving the vehicle with which the 65-year-old traveled to the borders. A 73-year-old had taken on the role of truck driver, transporting it to the borders and then returning to Crete. A 41-year-old Albanian national arranged for securing ammunition from his compatriot supplier, which he transported to Greek territory and delivered to the above.
Furthermore, to avoid detection they took strict self-protection measures, specifically: they used a truck vehicle that belonged to a deceased person (the way it came into their possession is being investigated), which they had appropriately modified, during transport to and from the borders, they deactivated their mobile phones, while for issuing ferry tickets, they used false registration and identity details.
During the organized operation that was carried out, officers from the Crete Organized Crime Unit immobilized and arrested the 65-year-old, 72-year-old and 73-year-old, after a cartridge pickup procedure, during which they had hidden more than 24,000 cartridges in the truck’s special compartment. At the same time, the 41-year-old was arrested in Kastoria by officers from the Northern Greece Organized Crime Unit.
Additionally, during the investigation, a 30-year-old was also arrested in Crete, who had previously purchased cartridges from the leading member of the criminal organization. In total, from searches conducted in vehicles and homes, the following were found and confiscated: 24,126 cartridges, a military rifle, 900 euros and vehicles (motorcycle, truck and passenger car). It should be noted that the 65-year-old had been arrested in 2019 for a similar case and restrictive conditions had been imposed on him. The confiscated cartridges and weapon will be examined by the competent authorities, while the arrested individuals will be brought before the competent prosecutorial authority.
